Even if you don’t own a jointer, you can do a
top-notch jointing job with a router table, a piece of plastic laminate,
and a straight bit. The trick is to use your router table like you would
a jointer, as shown in Figure 1.

A jointer has an outfeed table set at the height of the cutter and an
adjustable infeed table. The outfeed table provides support for the
board after the cut is made, and the infeed table allows you to adjust
how much material you want to remove from the board.

You can create a similar offset on a router table by attaching the plastic
laminate to the outfeed side of the router table fence. A slight bevel
on one end of the laminate will allow the workpiece to pass over the
laminate without catching the leading edge. The laminate strip is attached
to the fence with carpet tape so that the beveled end aligns with the
cutting edge of the bit, as shown in Figure 1a.

To joint the edge of a board, mount a ½” straight bit in
the router. Next, adjust the fence so that the face of the laminate
aligns with the cutting edge of the bit, as seen in Figure 1a.

Now, turn on the router and pass the workpiece over the bit
from right to left in a smooth, continuous movement. The router bit will shave
a straight edge like the knives of a jointer, while the laminate supports the
newly cut edge.